1 medium Kabocha squash (or Delicata or acorn), approx 5 cups cubed
2 lbs green tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds red onions
1 1/14 labs small red-skinned potatoes
6-8 colces garlic
2T olive oil
1 - 1/12 tsp salt

Peel squash and cut into 3/4 inch cubes.

Cut the green tomatoes in 1-inch chunks. Peel the red onions and cut them in then wedges. Scrub the potatoes and cut them in pieces no larger than the squash pieces. Peel the garlic cloves and slice the larger ones in half lengthwise.

Toss all the vegetables together with the olive oil and salt until they are evenly coated, spread on one or two baking sheets (they should be in a single layer) and roast them at 400 degrees for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Stir and turn the vegetables a couple times in the course of the cooking time. They should be perfectly tender with crisped, browned edges here and there.

That is the recipe as it appears in Anna Thomas, the New Vegetarian Epicure. but a recipe such as this is just a guideline (as opposed to a cake recipe which is a formula and must be followed exactly) so you can use your imagination and you don't really have to measure.

So this is the way I made it for a community dinner:

I had a Kabocha squash (much to my delight because I don't usually buy them) but it was a little rotten on the inside so I had to substitute Delicata. I didn't have red-skinned potatoes, but I did have fingerlings from the farmers market. The green tomatoes came from my garden and are one of the reasons I chose this recipe as green tomatoes are plentiful now.


I didn't have red onion so I used plain yellow onion. I tossed the chunks on the pan with my fingers, eye-balling the olive oil. The pieces should not be piled up more than this. You don't want the ones underneath to steam. They should all lose moisture at about the same rate so the sugars will caramelize, giving those nice brown edges that have so much flavor.


And this is how it looks roasted. Usually I cut Delicata squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and roast them with salt pepper, a little oilive oil, and/or maple syrup. Then we eat them out of their skins. But somone told me that the skin of a Delicata is tender enough to be eaten after it is roasted, so as you see, I left the skin on. It's very pretty at all stages but I don't know... it was good but perhaps a little chewy. Nice texture contrast but perhaps makes the eater a little doubtful: did she really mean to leave that skin on?

Kitchen Hint: Winter squash are hugely nutritious and are very inexpensive. They are a bit of a bother to deal with, though, and even a little dangerous. The best and safest way to skin one is to cut it in half through the stem with your largest knife. Scoop out the seeds and then cut in thick slices. Lay a slice down on the cutting board and cut off the rind. This reduces the squash to manageable pieces and as your knife is always headed for the cutting board rather than your hand, it is safe.